lost xdi file

[Carolyn]

I am working in TM1 9.4. All of my TM1 work is done through an Excel 2007 interface.

I have a large dimension with 10000+ elements. I was working in the xdi file, rearranging, removing a few, adding more, etc. Somehow the xdi file got "unattached" from the dim file.

I tried to fix it and ended up with a mess. The xdi file and the dim file are not in sync. The xdi file does not even show up in the picklist when I click the Edit Dimension icon.

I can edit the dimension by right-clicking in the Perspectives window, and that seems to work great. However, the xdi file is not updated.

Bearing in mind this is a large dimension, can I, should I:

1. Somehow (how?) recreate an xdi file?
2. Abandon the xdi file and edit the dimension in Perspectives from now on?
3. Any other suggestions?

[Alan Kirk]

I am working in TM1 9.4. All of my TM1 work is done through an Excel 2007 interface.

I have a large dimension with 10000+ elements. I was working in the xdi file, rearranging, removing a few, adding more, etc. Somehow the xdi file got "unattached" from the dim file.

I tried to fix it and ended up with a mess. The xdi file and the dim file are not in sync. The xdi file does not even show up in the picklist when I click the Edit Dimension icon.

I can edit the dimension by right-clicking in the Perspectives window, and that seems to work great. However, the xdi file is not updated.

Bearing in mind this is a large dimension, can I, should I:

1. Somehow (how?) recreate an xdi file?
2. Abandon the xdi file and edit the dimension in Perspectives from now on?
3. Any other suggestions?

It may sound obvious, but the first thing to do is to make sure that your Options in Perspectives are pointing to the correct data directory, and that the .xdi resides in that directory.

Assuming that that setting is OK and the file really is corrupted, the next thing I'd do is to move the .xdi file out to some other location. It doesn't matter where, as long as it's somewhere that TM1 can't see. This is just to preserve the copy in case you need it.

Next, create a blank .xdi file. You can do this by just creating a blank workbook (I'd recommend using Excel 97-2003 format for this) as an .xdi. Don't save it through the Dimension -> Save dialog, just do a normal File -> Save As into the data directory. Remember to put the filename in double quotes when you save it ("DimName.xdi") otherwise the file will end up being saved as DimName.xdi.xls

Now edit the dimension using the dimension editor. This should detect the presence of the new .xdi when you finish and ask you whether you want to update it. (I haven't tested this, but experience suggests that it should work.)

If none of that works, post the .dim file. I have a utility which can generate an .xdi, and can recreate it for you. I had thought about putting it in the last release of TM1Tools but it's really more of an Admin tool rather than an end user one and TM1Tools is more inclined to the latter audience.

[Carolyn]

It may sound obvious, but the first thing to do is to make sure that your Options in Perspectives are pointing to the correct data directory, and that the .xdi resides in that directory.

Been there done that, but thanks for the reminder.

I'll try your other suggestions, thanks again.

[Carolyn]

Alan,

Nope, sorry, it did not work.

Further investigation proved that the xdi files (yes, there are three dims involved, not just one) got written to a disconnected server. When our TM1 was installed, it came with a sample database. I have pretty much ignored that database, and had never connected to it. Even though I was NOT CONNECTED to the sample server, three xdi files got written to it.

If I connect to the sample server, I can see the xdi files just great in the "open dimension" picklist. I can edit them, save the dim to my "real" server, and the changed info shows up when I edit the dim by using the dimension editor (right clicking in Perspectives).

The xdi file continues to be saved to the sample server, even if I copy it to my real server.

Here is my bottom line. Editing a dimension using the xdi file seems to be unreliable. Editing it using the dimension editor in Perspectives seems to be reliable, as it works on the dim file itself. I think I am going to abandon all hope of using an xdi file and rely on the Perspectives dimension editor.

Finally, thanks for your offer to reconstruct my xdi files. I can't send them to you as there is company confidential info contained within.

[Alan Kirk]

It's not unreliable, you just need to fully understand how it works.

The .xdis that appear when you select Dimension Worksheets -> Open have nothing to do with the server that you're connected to. They only have to do with the data directory(ies) that you have specified at the time.

Suppose that you have two servers; abc and def.

Your TM1 Options specify the data directory as DEF's. (As an aside, upon initial installation your options were probably pointed to the Planning Sample server's directory even if you didn't ever plan to use it.)

You then log in to server ABC and create a new dimension. You save it on server ABC.

Where's the .dim file? In ABC's data directory.

But where's the .xdi file? In DEF's data directory. (I've tested and confirmed that that's still the case in 9.5.2; can't see why it would be different in 9.4)

Consequently the .xdi file doesn't have to be in the same directory as the server that it affects. It SHOULD be, which is why it's so important to be aware of your data directory options at the time, but it doesn't have to be.

If you're running multiple servers you can have multiple data directories specified in your options (separated by semi-colons), but a NEW .xdi file will always be saved to the first path specified.

Once the .xdi file has been created, though, it will show up if it is in ANY of the data directories specified, and the .xdi file will be saved back to whichever directory it was from. (Which is why copying it isn't the right approach; MOVING it is.) This will happen regardless of whether you are logged on to any servers at the time.

However the .dim file that's updated WILL depend on which server(s) you selected when you executed the Worksheet Dimensions -> Save command and whether you were logged on to that server at the time. That's separate from the .xdi file.

[Carolyn]

Your TM1 Options specify the data directory as DEF's. (As an aside, upon initial installation your options were probably pointed to the Planning Sample server's directory even if you didn't ever plan to use it.)

Bingo. That was the problem. I repointed it.

Two of the three dimensions have been fixed. The large one is still not right, but when I get back from my meeting I'm going to try the "empty excel file" technique again, now that the pointer works.

Many thanks.

[Carolyn]

Alan,

After much experimentation, here is what I am seeing:

The other two dims are fine. I'm still having problems with the first (giant) one.

I put the empy mydim.xdi file, generated in Excel 2003, in the proper directory. I edited the dimension using the right-click Edit Dim option in Perspectives and added a bogus element. When I went to save the dimension, it asked me if I also wanted to update the worksheet file. Hooray, or so I thought.

When I open the worksheet file using the Dimension Worksheets/Open icon, the entire dimension was there (no longer empty, Hooray), and the bogus element was there. Great.

I deleted the bogus element and used the Dimension Worksheets/Save icon, nothing seemed to happen. Usually it askes me which server I want to save the dim to. (My server or that sample server.) Normally I click on my server, then close the file.

After deleting the bogus element, clicking on "Save" and not seeing the server picklist, I smelled a rat. I closed the dimension worksheet, and was asked by Excel if I wanted to save it. (That usually does not happen.) I examined the dimension using the Perspectives dimension element right-click, and the bogus element was still there.

Apparently, editing the dimension is a one-way street. If I make changes in Perspectives, it saves to the xdi dimension worksheet file, but not vice-versa.

Other dims are working OK.

Alan, I would truly appreciate any other advice you might have. Should I be clicking on Save Data All at some crucial point?

[paulsimon]

Caroline

Are you sure that you were still connected to the TM1 Server when you saved the dimension?

I am also wondering whether you could have a problem with a read-only xdi file or perhaps someone could have changed the security to give you only read access to the cubes directory (which is I assume where you are storing the XDIs?). Were you able to same the XDI back using the normal Excel Save?

Is it possible that you had tried to start a local version of the server as well? Check TM1 Options to ensure that Connect Local at Start up is not ticked. The fact that you say that you usually get a message to ask you whether you want to save on Local or Remote Server is odd. You shouldn't get that unless you have both a local and remote server running. (At least as far as I can remember - I haven't used XDIs for a few years).

Regards

Paul Simon